Alexandra Ross
by EL Hyland
Summary: Mike Ross being a fraud isn't the only secret he is hiding. What will happen when Alexandra Ross shows up at his work one day unannounced and rumors swirl? Is she is sister, his cousin, his daughter? Story is set in season one and will progress, some elements of the show may be present. Harvey/Mike elements may also be present... you have been warned.
1. Chapter 1

Alexandra Ross lied and schemed her way through security and ended upstairs strolling through Pearson Hardman. She was discretely looking for Mike, but a twelve year old didn't go unnoticed, even amongst a bunch of self-involved lawyers. For the most part they just frowned and went about their business, but she didn't stand a chance getting past Donna.

"Hi there," she smiled as she stepped from around her desk and blocked the girl's way. "Can I help you?"

"I need to talk to Mike Ross," she said.

"And, you are?" Donna asked.

Alex hesitated. She didn't know how much these people knew about him, but it was clear they didn't know anything about her. "I'm his sister," she said. "Alex."

"Alex," she nodded with a smile. "I'm Donna."

"Harvey Spector's secretary, Harvey is Mike's boss," Alex smiled back. "I know. So, can you get him for me?"

"I love when people have heard of me, and I like you, and luckily for you I like Mike too." She said as she walked back around her desk and picked up her phone. She had a short conversation before she turned back to the girl. "They're on their way back from a meeting. Come on, you can wait in here."

Alex followed Donna into Harvey's office. It wasn't very discreet as all the walls were made of glass, but it was the only real place for her to wait where she was somewhat out of the way. She looked around, she was a lover of music so the records intrigued her, and she was mesmerized by the duck painting on the wall, there was just something about it that she liked.

Donna waited at her desk and kept an eye on the girl, but for the most part she just walked around the office, scanned the records and then sat on the couch. When she saw Mike and Harvey coming down the hall she got up, not to meet them, but to cut them off before they saw the girl. She wanted to explain it first, especially the part of why she let a child into Harvey's precious office.

"Mike," Donna said. "You have a visitor. A charming girl named Alex. She's waiting for you in Harvey's office."

Mike went wide eyed before he disappeared into the office, mumbling a thank you as he went.

"Why is she in my office?" Harvey asked as he glanced into the room. "Is that a child?"

"That's why," she said. "And, because Mike doesn't have an office and I didn't think sending her into the bullpen was a good idea."

"Who is that?" he asked.

"She said she was his sister," Donna shrugged. "Who knew?"

"You took her word for it?" Harvey asked.

"Look at her, same dirty blonde hair, same blue eyes, she looks like a mini version of him," she said. "Besides, she's smart like him too. She knew who I was and who you were, and she figured out how to get passed security and up here all on her own."

"Impressive," Harvey nodded.

Mike was nervous for two reasons when he saw Alex, the first being for her and second being for him. He was worried something happened to her, and he was worried about too much of his personal life coming out at the office. He didn't need to give anyone anymore ammo to tip them off to look a too hard into his background. He rushed into the office, walking toward Alex as she stood up from the couch.

"Lex, what's going on?" he asked as he put his hands on her shoulders and looked her over. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." she nodded.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Why aren't you in school?"

"Because you didn't sign the permission slip for the field trip," she said.

"I completely forgot," he groaned as he remembered he meant to sign it this morning but a phone call from Harvey distracted him. "I'm sorry, Lex."

She shrugged. "I didn't want to be at school alone without my friends, so I left."

"You left?" he raised a brow. "How did you get here?"

"Mmm, I took the subway." She mumbled.

"Alexandra," Mike sighed and sat her down on the couch as he sat on the table in front of her. "I already told you I didn't want you doing that. You're too young to ride the subway alone and you can't just leave school without asking me."

"I called you, but you didn't answer." she said.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and ran a hand over his tired eyes. "I turned it off in court and forgot to turn it back on," he frowned. "I better call your school back, tell them what's going on. And, then I've got to get someone to come pick you up."

"Daddy?" she said when he went to get up.

"Yeah, baby?" he turned to look at her.

"I didn't tell anyone who I was," she said. "I told Donna I was your sister when she asked."

He frowned. "Why didn't you tell the truth?"

"Because, I heard you tell Jenny that no one knew about me at your work," she explained. "You said you didn't know how to tell people and that people could poke holes in your story, or paint you as a bad guy because it would mean you left me to go to law school."

Mike raised a brow. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"No, we live in a tiny apartment. The bed and the couch are pretty close and I have a curtain for a wall," she shrugged. "You thought I was asleep. I wasn't."

He sighed and tried to keep from cracking a smile at her response as he sat down beside her on the couch. "I haven't told anyone because no one has asked me about my personal life, and yes, I don't want people to start asking too many questions, but it's not because I'm ashamed of you."

"I know," she smiled weakly. "But, you're barely home now and I don't want someone to say something that gets me taken from you."

Mike frowned and ran a hand down the back of her head. "Look at me," he said. "No one is going to take you from me, not without one hell of a fight, and this job makes it better for us. It's more money, once I save enough we can move to a bigger place where you will get your own bedroom with actual walls."

"I don't care about those things," she said. "I care about you being around. I miss you."

"I miss you too," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. "It won't be like this forever, but right now, I need this job. I promise you it's all going to work out, alright?"

"If you say so," she smiled at him.

"You're pretty smart, you know that?"

"Well, I am your kid," she said.

"Yes, you are." He grinned as he kissed her head before he rose from the couch with his phone in hand. "I'll be right back."

She watched Mike walk out of the room and she felt conflicted. Part of her felt better, because he was good at reassuring her and she knew that this job was a good thing for him and her, but another part of her felt sad that he was about to pawn her off on someone. She had just skipped school and he barely batted an eye because his job was so demanding she was flying way under his radar lately.

Mike was a few feet away from Donna's desk as he explained the situation to Alex's school, letting them know she wouldn't be back today. He could see Donna watching Alex and Harvey was watching him, and he knew they were trying to put the pieces together. He walked back over to them, knowing Harvey would want to talk, he would want some sort of explanation for why a twelve year old was in his office.

"Everything alright?" Donna asked.

"Yeah," Mike sighed. "I forgot to sign a field trip permission slip, so she couldn't go and all her friends got to go, so she took the subway here because she didn't want to stay at school."

"Wait," Donna shook her head. "Why would you sign her permission slip?"

Mike cleared his throat. "Because, I'm her guardian."

"You raise her?" she asked. "Where are your parents?"

"My parents died in a car wreck, my grandma is in a nursing home," he explained. "There's no one else, it's just the two of us."

"Who watches her while you're here until eight and nine at night?" Donna asked. "And, when Harvey calls in the middle of the night, where does she go?"

"Neighbours, friends," Mike shrugged. "I mean, she's twelve, so she can stay alone sometimes too, but I think that's why she came here."

"She misses you," Donna smiled and he nodded.

"Sorry Harvey," Mike said. "I'm going to see if a friend of mine can pick her up and I'll get back to work."

Donna looked into the office. "I'll watch her. We can do lunch."

"Donna, you don't have to," Mike shook his head.

"I know, but I want to." She smiled as she walked into the office.

Mike watched the interaction, Donna was a natural when it came to talking to anyone and he wasn't surprised she got Alex to agree to spend the afternoon with her. He hugged her goodbye, and watched her walk with Donna before he joined Harvey in his office, feeling a little sad and wondering how he could leave earlier to be home with her more.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a daughter?" Harvey asked once the door was closed and no one passing by could listen in.

Mike stared at him, unsure what to say. "Wh- How did you know?"

"I know she's not your sister. You think I didn't look into you when I hired you? I might not have found her, but I did find your parent's accident. They died in 1992, and you just said she's twelve. She looks like you, she lives with you, you sign her permission slips and the school calls you when she doesn't show up to class. It wasn't a far jump. So, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how to bring her up without creating holes in my story," he said. "I was seventeen when she was born, what was I supposed to say when people asked me what I did with her when I went to law school?"

"That may be true for those who don't know your story, but I do." He reminded. "You could have told me. I would have helped you out, let you leave earlier at night, not call you when you're at home with her."

"That's why I didn't tell you. Harvey, I need this job," he said. "I can't use her as an excuse to be treated differently at work. I'm all she has, and considering how we met, I think you know how much of a mess I was in and how desperate I was for money."

"Where's her Mother?" he asked.

"She took off when Lex was six months old," Mike said. "We're better off without her."

"Does she feel that way too?"

"After she found out the real story a few years ago she hasn't mentioned her once since, so yeah," he said. "She feels the same way."

Harvey studied his face and was silent for a few moments before he sat down at his desk. "I'm going to help, and you're going to let me, because that girl needs the best version of you."

"I'm trying," he nodded.

"You live in a run down, bachelor apartment and you ride a bike to work," he said.

"Most of my money goes to the nursing home my grandmother in is. She raised me, and she helped me raise Lex, and she's the only other family we have. I can't turn my back on her," he explained. "Anything I have left I save, so one day we can get a bigger place."

"You can stay with me until that happens," Harvey said as he picked up the phone.

"Harvey, no, you're the one that said we needed boundaries and space," he frowned. "Who are you calling?"

"Ray, it's Harvey," he said into the phone, ignoring Mike. "Listen, I need you open to drive someone every weekday, twice a day, morning and afternoon, can you make that happen? Great, thanks."

"Was that your driver?" he asked.

"Yes, now she doesn't have to ride the subway, or take the bus, or however she used to get to school." He said. "Ray will drive her and pick her up now. Does she go to a good school? I have some connections at a few private schools. I can make a call?"

"What is happening?" Mike asked.

"Someone's giving you a break," Harvey said.

"You already gave me the biggest break," Mike shook his head. "You gave me this job, and you stuck your neck out so I could keep it."

"Yeah, well," Harvey shrugged. "I'm doing the other stuff for her."


	2. Chapter 2

Mike was sitting on the couch reading with a beer in his hand. It was late, Alex was sleeping and he had the table lamp on to keep from waking her when he heard a knock at the door. He opened the door to find Rachel standing in the hallway looking a combination between angry and hurt. He glanced back briefly to make sure the curtain was closed around the bed. He wasn't ashamed of his daughter, but there were parts of his life he needed to keep under wraps. If he went down for being a fraud, he didn't want to take Alex with him.

"Rachel," he said with surprise.

"You hurt me," she said firmly.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"No, all those nice things you said, those are the kinds of things you say when-" she shook her head and walked through the door. "Look, if you feel those things about me, why can't you be with me?"

Mike tried to keep his voice down in hopes she would do the same. "I told you, it's the job and I don't think it's a good idea."

"You say that, but the Mike I know, the one I fell for, he wouldn't do this," she said. "So, if all your feelings are still there, then it only boils down to one thing. You're keeping something from me."

"Rachel," Mike said.

"Just tell me what it is?" she demanded.

"Daddy?" Alex said as she emerged from behind the curtain, half asleep and rubbing her eyes.

Rachel spun around and stood frozen staring at the little girl in shock before she turned back to Mike for answers. "Meet my daughter, Alexandra."

He shrugged at her wide eyes, not smugly, just in the 'I didn't know how to tell you' kind of way. He then turned to Alex. "It's okay, sweetheart," he said. "This is my friend Rachel, from work."

"Hi," she smiled at Rachel. "I prefer to be called Alex." She never liked her full name, and only Mike called her Lex. It was a special thing between just the two of them and she wanted to keep it that way.

Rachel smiled back. "Hi Alex," she said as she tried to get over the shock. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Why don't you go back to bed, Lex." Mike nodded. "I'll check on you after I finish talking to Rachel."

"You didn't wake me up," she said. "I woke up because I don't feel good."

Mike frowned as he quickly crossed the room to reach her. He felt her forehead and he noticed her face was flushed. "You're warm," he said as he felt her glands. "Is your throat sore?"

"No," she said. "I just feel sick. My stomach hurts."

"Is she okay?" Rachel asked concerned, but she'd be lying if she said her feelings for Mike weren't rising in the moment. There was something about watching a man be a good and caring parent that was incredibly attractive.

"She gets strep throat almost every year," Mike said. "But, she's okay, just maybe ate too much junk before bed."

"You buy it," she mumbled as he handed her some chewable Pepto-Bismol tablets to settle her stomach.

"Yes, I do," he smiled as he cupped her chin. "Back to bed."

"Will you tell me a story?" she asked.

Most kids would ask to be read a story, but Mike having the mind he did never actually needed the book in front of him. He could simply receipt hundreds of kid stories from those he was read as a child. It worked better too, because she wouldn't get distracted by the pictures. Instead, his voice would soothe her to sleep and it became a source of comfort for her.

"As soon as I finish talking to Rachel," he said.

"No, now," she whined. She only ever whined when she was tired and not feeling well, that's how he knew she wasn't faking it. She rarely ever faked it either, because Mike knew all her tells. But this wasn't just about not feeling well, she was trying to keep him from Rachel.

"Five minutes baby," he said with a raised brow, signalling he wanted to finish his conversation.

It had been just the two of them for so long that they could communicate with minimal words most of the time. For a moment they just stared at each other in a mini standoff of power. She wanted him to know she didn't like being brushed off, she never liked any girlfriend he ever had, except Jenny, and he wanted her to know he wasn't backing down. For the most part they considered themselves a team, but Mike was still in charge, so she headed back to bed as Mike guided Rachel out of the apartment and into the hallway.

"I don't know what to say," Rachel crossed her arms and shook her head. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't tell anyone," he said. "Harvey and Donna found out last week when Alex showed up at the firm."

"I just don't understand why you would hide her," she said. "How old is she?"

"She's twelve," he said.

"Which would make you-"

"A teen father," he nodded. "I was seventeen."

"And, her Mother?"

"High school sweetheart," he explained. "We planned to break up when she left for college and I was going to look after Alex on my own and we'd share custody, but she left without saying goodbye and she never came back, for either of us."

"That's why she doesn't seem to like me," Rachel nodded with a slight smile.

"She'll like you, she just won't like you with me," he tried to explain. "It's hard to understand."

"No, it's not. It's easy. Her Mother abandoned her, and she doesn't want to go through that again," Rachel shrugged. "She's protecting herself, and she's protecting you. It's sweet, and it's better than what I first thought."

"What did you think?" he asked.

"That she didn't like me because she liked Jenny more," Rachel said as she studied Mike's face. "Wait, did she like Jenny?"

"Sort of," he said. "It's different. Jenny was with Trevor, he was my best friend, they were in her life a lot. She was close with Jenny before anything happened with me and her."

"Is she still close with her?" Rachel asked, not sure if she wanted the answer.

"Yes," he answered honestly. "Jenny is usually who watches her when I work late. There is nothing going on between me and her anymore, but I'm a single father."

"You need to take all the help you can get," Rachel nodded. "I get it."

"Right, so for now I need to put her first and figure some stuff out on my own," he said. "I really do think things will be easier if we just stay friends. I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"I understand," she smiled but he could see the hurt in her eyes.

They said their goodbyes and Mike headed back into the apartment, making sure to lock the door behind him before he made his way over to Alex. She was sitting on the bed, upright and awake, clearly waiting for him. He climbed in beside her and leaned against the headboard before he pulled her back to lean against him.

"You want to tell me what that was about?" he asked.

"What?" she mumbled as she turned on her side toward him to rest her head on his chest.

"You know what," he tried to catch her gaze. "It's not like you to interrupt like that."

"I didn't feel well and she sounded like a talker," she said as she looked up at him. "She sounded mad, too."

"The word is angry, she sounded angry," he corrected. "But, that's not why you interrupted is it?"

She looked up at him and he raised a brow at her in response. "She knew you had a secret, I just made her think it was me," she sighed. "That's why you're not with her, right? You can't be honest with her."

"You're a little too observant sometimes," he nodded. "Yes, I need to be honest with whoever I share my life with, about my job, about you, about my past."

"Jenny knows everything," she mumbled.

"Lex, listen," he sat them up in bed and turned her so they could make eye contact. "She will always be there for you, and you can call her whenever you want, and hang out with her whenever you want. Jenny and I are still friends, we just aren't going to be more than that, and I have to move on, we have to move on."

"With Rachel?" she groaned.

"Hey, come on," he frowned. "Is it her, or is it any woman who isn't Jenny?"

"We're a team," she emphasized. "We don't need a third."

"No, we don't," he said with a smile as he kissed her head and decided to leave the conversation there for the night. He leaned back against the headboard and guided her back to leaning against him once again. "Alright, what story do you want to hear?"

OOOOO

Harvey and Donna showed up the next morning to help move them out of the tiny apartment and into his condo. Mike was still a bit uncomfortable with taking the help, but Harvey was pretty adamant about it and if he was being honest they really needed the help. Alex deserved better than a run-down apartment building in an iffy neighbourhood with shower curtains for walls. She was getting to that age when material things were going to start to matter and he wanted her to be able to bring friends over without fear of being bullied. She wasn't fighting the move either, which made it easier for Mike to agree with.

"Daddy, this place is huge!" Alex exclaimed as she inspected the condo.

"I know," Mike smiled at her.

"Do you want to see your room?" Harvey asked.

"Yes!" she said excitedly.

Harvey led them down the hallway. His bedroom was on the other side of the condo, with a walk in closet, a master bathroom, and an amazing view from a terrace. But, the other two bedrooms were no joke either. They would have to share a bathroom, and they didn't have balconies or walk in closets, but they were both decent sized rooms with more than enough closet space.

Mike took note that someone, most likely Donna, had decorated the room for Alex. He highly doubted the walls were painted a dusty rose when Harvey moved in, or that Harvey had them painted that until now. The furniture was white and destressed antique looking and included a double bed, a vanity with a mirror, a dresser and a small desk. There were also some clothes hanging in the closet and a few books and other things scattered around the room.

Watching Alex's excitement warmed Mike's heart and he was trying to hide the fact that he was getting a bit emotional. He took a few steps across the hall to his room as Donna showed Alex some of the highlights of her room. Mike's room was less extravagant, but it still had effort put in. The walls and furniture was grey and the bedspread was navy. It was a theme that carried throughout the room and Mike even noticed that his closest also contained some clothes in the form of a few new suits and dress shirts.

"Yeah, thought you really needed nicer suits," Harvey said with a grin as he watched him looking through the closest.

"Harvey," Mike shook his head. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," he shook his head.

"Why are you doing this?" Mike asked honestly.

Harvey shrugged, a smile playing on his lips with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Why not?" he said. "Like I said, sometimes people help you in life and sometimes you help them."

"I don't know how I'm ever going to thank or repay you," Mike said.

"Daddy, look!" Alex came flying into the room holding a few books. "All the Harry Potter books, and all the Narnia books!"

"Wow, that's great, Lex." Mike said as he watched her beam with happiness as she ran back to Donna.

"See that?" Harvey. "That's all the thanks I need."

Mike nodded and was pulled from their conversation by his ringing phone. They were working a case that was a little time sensitive and that meant he had to be on call over the weekend in case they had a break, which was just coming in. He needed to leave to go talk to some people, but he often felt guilty about doing work on the weekend because that was his time with Alex, but he didn't feel so bad about leaving her today.

"I have to go," Mike hesitated as he hung up.

"Go, it's fine. I got this," Harvey didn't need to go into the office yet, perks of being the boss and having Mike as his associate. "She'll be fine."

Mike nodded. "Hey Lex," he called out and headed into the hallway. "I have to go work for a few hours. You okay to hang out here with Harvey?"

"Yeah," she nodded. She didn't want him to go, but she also didn't want to give him a hard time about it because she knew he didn't really have a choice.

"Alright, I'll be back for dinner," he said as he kissed her head. "Be good. I love you."

"Love you too," she said.

Harvey walked Mike to the door and Donna also left because she had a few things to do. He was then keenly aware that he was now alone with a twelve year old and he had absolutely no idea how to handle the situation. His only saving grace was that Alex wasn't the typical twelve year old. She was smarter, and more mature, and Harvey quickly took a liking to her.

"Do you want a snack or something?" Harvey asked her.

She grinned. "Did you buy kid food?"

"Maybe," he said before he cracked a smile. "What do you like anyway?"

"Pretty much the normal stuff," she said. "We eat a lot of pizza."

Harvey nodded as he pulled his phone from his suit jacket pocket and called in a dinner reservation. "Well, no pizza tonight." He said. "We'll go out for a nice meal to celebrate."

"You like to do that," she commented. "Fix the problem."

"When it comes to people I care about, yeah." He said. "You are observant."

"So are you," she said.

"I was close with my Dad too," he said.

"But, not your Mom," she nodded with a smile. "You're trying to bond with me over shared childhood scenarios."

"You really are Mike's kid," Harvey grinned. "So, what kind of Dad is he really?"

Alex took a moment to think about the question. "Well, I know you know my Mom isn't around, and I bet you know that his parents died when he was eleven," Harvey nodded. "So, he grew up wishing he still had them and he doesn't want me to feel that."

"He plays double time," Harvey said. "To make up for her absence."

"The last conversation he had with his dad was a fight, so he always tells me he loves me when we finish a conversation," she said. "And, I mean always. Every time we end a phone conversation, every time he leaves in the morning, even if he leaves multiple times a day. He always says it when he walks out the door. That's the kind of Dad he is."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hello, hello," Mike called out when he walked through the condo's front door.

It was around seven in the evening on a Friday night, a little late some would say to get home when you have children, but it was actually a decent time for Mike. He knew Harvey had been cutting him slack ever since he found out about Alex and they moved in with him. He made sure someone was home with her after school, sometimes it was Mike, sometimes Harvey or Donna, but still Jenny most of the time, much to Rachel's displeasure.

Despite Mike's pleas for no special treatment at the office, Harvey had formed a bond with Alex almost immediately and he liked the little dysfunctional family they were becoming. He was protective over Mike, anyone could see it, but he was ten times more protective over Alex. It surprised everyone, even himself, but he was completely fine with it.

Alex came running out of her room and into his arms. It was one thing he hoped never changed, but knew it would some day. More room was a perk because now he was greeted with great enthusiasm.

"Look, we ordered Chinese!" Alex said as she gestured toward the table.

"I can see that," he nodded. "I thought we were going out for dinner?"

"We were," Harvey said as he came out of his room. "Until I picked her up from the principal's office."

"What?" Mike frowned as he looked down at his daughter.

She broke eye contact with him as she glared at Harvey. "You have one chance to change that look, young lady," he said.

"Or what?" she said as she crossed her arms and held her ground.

"Or what?" Harvey raised a surprised brow. "Or, you can go back to your room for the rest of the night."

"You're being unfair!" she said. "You're not my Dad."

"Alright, enough," Mike said as he stepped between them. "Lex, go to your room and wait for me."

"Daddy," she whined.

He held up a hand. "I'm going to talk to Harvey, and then I'm going to talk to you," he said. "And when I do, I want a lot less attitude and a lot more explaining." He nodded toward the hall. "Go, because I am your Dad."

She sighed before she stomped off to her room and slammed the door. He shook his head and ran a hand over his tired eyes before he sat down at the counter. Harvey waited a minute before he leaned on the counter and spoke up. "Is she testing me?" he asked.

"Yes," Mike said. "She wants to know you'll be there even when she doesn't act well. Push back."

"Done," he nodded. "She's family to me, so are you, you know that right?"

"Yeah, of course," Mike nodded. "So, what'd she do?"

"She disrupted the class," he said. "Apparently she's been doing it all week, and today she picked a fight with the substitute teacher. She corrected her constantly and created an environment that didn't allow for other students to learn."

"Their words?" Mike asked and Harvey nodded. "She's bored. Every teacher conference I go to I hear the same thing. She needs to be challenged more."

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Private school," Mike shook his head. "I can't afford it, and before you say it, no. I can't ask you to do that."

"Good," he said. "Because they already told me that, and I already made a call, and you're not asking. I'm offering and you're going to accept because it's the best thing for her."

Mike looked at him. "You did all that? Even though I'm sure she's been giving you hell."

"Nothing I can't handle," he smirked with a shrug. "I talked to her, then I lectured, and then I sent her to her room when she got a little too mouthy."

"Sounds about right," he said. "It's a fine line between raising a strong willed daughter and a spoiled one."

"Maybe you can finally teach me something," Harvey joked. "Like how you got her to back down and listen to you so easily a minute ago."

"She can be stubborn, but with a little practice you'll get there," he said as he stood up. "You coming?"

Harvey nodded and gestured for Mike to take the lead. He followed him down the hall and watched as Mike knocked once before he entered the room. He crossed the room and sat down on the bed while Alex pouted across the room as she pretended to ruffle through her book shelves and ignore them. Harvey leaned against the door frame and watched Mike excel in his best role.

"Hey," he said softly and waited for Alex to look at him. "Sit down. We need to talk."

She grabbed a pillow and clutched it in her arms as she sat cross legged on her bed. Mike shifted so he was facing her and gently pulled the pillow from her arms before he slipped a few fingers under her chin. Her blue eyes met his and he could tell something was wrong.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm bored and not applying myself because the material is not challenging enough," she parroted back the principal's analysis of her as she pulled out of his grasp.

"Hmm," Mike nodded. "And, being disrespectful toward Harvey, what's that about? Thought you two were pals."

"We are," she mumbled as she slowly looked over at him. He smiled and she visibility relaxed as she sighed and gave a small smile back.

"I think you owe him an apology," Mike reminded.

"Sorry, Harvey," she said.

"Forgiven," he said as he crossed the room and joined them on the bed. "What if we told you we could get you into a school that would challenge you?"

"Why do I have to change schools because they can't teach right?" she asked.

"Teach well," Mike corrected with a smile. "And, because other kids learn at different speeds. You are smarter than average kids your age, they are teaching to the average crowd. At private school they will teach more at your level."

"I learn more from you than school," she mumbled. "What about my friends?"

"Well, here's the thing," Mike said. "Because we moved here, we're now out of your school's district, they just haven't caught up with us yet. So, it's either a new public school, or a new private school."

Alex looked from her Dad to Harvey and watched them exchange a glance. "Do I even get a choice, or have you already made the decision?"

Mike grinned. "Sorry baby, some decisions I have to make for you," he said as he kissed her head. "You start Monday."

OOOOO

Alex sat in the back seat with Harvey as Ray pulled up to the new school. It was downtown, it was stone, and these kids wore uniforms and came from rich families. They were nothing like her. Their lives were nothing like hers. They didn't have single parents, Mothers who abandoned them, or Dad's who used to be a bike messenger slash drug dealer turned fraud lawyer. She was in their world now, Mike was in their world too, but it didn't mean they belonged there. Not yet, anyway.

"I can be whoever I want?" she asked.

"You can be whoever you want," Harvey nodded.

"I can lie?" she looked at him.

He shrugged and rocked his head back and forth. "You can bend the truth," he said.

"Can I change my name?" she said.

He frowned. "Why would you change your name?"

"Not my full name, just the nickname part," she said. "Alex wears jeans and plaid shirts with beanies, and she lives in a run-down bachelor apartment with her single Dad. She doesn't go to a school with trust fund kids where they wear uniforms and she doesn't live in fancy high rise condos."

"Alright," Harvey grinned. "So, who does?"

"Ali," she said. "Alex is dead."

"Don't say that," he said. "No part of you is dead, you're just evolving."

"Right," she sighed. "Wish me luck."

Harvey grinned. "Have a good day, Ali."

He waited until she walked inside the school before he signalled to Ray to take him to the firm. Mike was upset he missed her first day, he had never missed a first day, but he had to be in court and he couldn't move the time. Harvey reassured him the second he walked into his office that everything went well, but Alex didn't last long at the new school before she ducked out, and Mike got a phone call.

Alex was sitting cross legged on the bed at the nursing home relaying the last week of her life to her great grandmother like she often did. Grammy was sitting in her chair and listened intently, trying to pick up on the clues of why the twelve year old was there alone in the middle of a school day. She knew Mike was working more now, he used to come visit all the time, but now he was missing visits, and it seemed he was missing other things too. She was facing the door, but Alex had her back to it, so she didn't see Mike coming down the hall toward them. He looked a mix of emotions, worried, then relieved, then angry.

"Alexandra," he said once he came into the room.

Alex winced at his tone and looked to Grammy for help. "Busted," she mumbled.

"Why aren't you in school?" Mike demanded.

"Because I don't like it there," she said with a little more attitude than he was used to.

"You don't like it there?" he raised a brow. "That isn't your decision to make."

"Well, it should be," she mumbled.

"Excuse me?" he asked as he put his hands on his hips. "There has been a little too much back talk coming from you lately, little girl."

"Mike," Grammy interrupted and signalled for him to calm down.

"If you knew she was here, why didn't you call me?" he asked.

"I didn't know she wasn't supposed to be here," she said.

"You're too busy to do anything anymore," Alex said. "We never come here, we never hang out, all you do is work."

"Alex, we have been through this," he said. "This job is better for us than the other job."

"Yeah, but with your other job at least you came home every night," she said. "You cooked me dinner, and you were off on weekends, and we actually did things together. And, you're not even mad I'm not in school right now, not really anyway, you're mad you had to leave work.""

Mike sighed and knelt in front of her. "I don't care about leaving work, I care about you, where you are and if you are okay. Listen, this is a big conversation for such a little girl to understand, but we were barely getting by with my other job, and no one was looking out for me. I needed a job with more security so I could stop worrying about money."

"Money isn't everything," she said. "Family is."

Mike looked to Grammy and they exchanged a smile before he turned back to his daughter. "I know that, and it's not about extra money, it's about having enough money that I don't worry about where our next meal is coming from, or if I can afford to put you in soccer, or send you to a good school."

Alex sighed. "Am I in trouble?"

"Yes," Mike said as he rose and kissed her head. "Say goodbye to Grammy."

Alex and Mike both said goodbye, with Mike promising his grandmother they would be back to visit on Saturday to resume their normal visiting schedule. He did feel bad that he had been too busy to see her or take Alex to see her the last couple of weeks. She had done so much for them it was the least he could do to visit her regularly, even if she understood the demands of his new job.

Ray was outside waiting for them, Harvey had called him when Mike got the call that Alex had bailed. Alex wasn't used to having more than Mike to answer to, and it suddenly dawned on her that she would have to explain to and also get lectured from Harvey. She had to admit that she didn't hate the idea of having two parents, and she also didn't hate living in the condo, but she did hate that the kids at her new school seemed to know she didn't belong there.

"Daddy?" she turned to look at him.

"Yeah baby?" he said as he turned his attention from the traffic to her.

"Can I go back to your office?" she asked.

"Lex, you need to go to school," he said.

"Can't I just start again tomorrow?" she asked. "Please? I need Donna."

"Why?" he asked.

"Girl stuff," she mumbled.

Mike sighed but agreed and relayed the new plans to Ray who silently complied like always. He took her upstairs and tried to navigate her through the office without calling too much attention to them, but it was hard because twelve year olds weren't often seen in the firm. Donna gave him a questioning gaze and followed them into Harvey's office. He was on the phone, but he quickly ended it and stood up behind his desk as they came in.

"Where were you?" he asked, calmly but a little firm.

"Visiting Grammy," she said.

"You can't just leave school, Al," Harvey said.

"I missed her," she mumbled and leaned into Mike for comfort.

Mike slipped an arm around her. "We're going to be better about visiting her," he said. "And you are going to stay at school, unless one of us picks you up, you hear me?"

"Yes, Dad," she said softly.

"Do you want to talk to Donna first?" he asked and she nodded as he looked to Harvey.

"We'll give you a few minutes," Harvey said.

They left his office but didn't go too far from the room. There were a few things Harvey needed to update Mike about and it took just about as long as whatever Alex needed to tell Donna. She was coming back out of Harvey's office as they were approaching. Mike looked concerned but Donna gave him a reassuring smile, even though she did let out a sigh.

"So?" Harvey pressed. "What happened?"

"Well," she said. "It's nothing we can't fix with a little creative thinking and a shopping trip."

"She was being picked on?" Mike concluded.

"Only by one girl after she asked what school Alex used to go to," she said. "She knew the area and school wasn't great and said Alex had to be a charity case. They think she's a scholarship kid and they wouldn't talk to her. Alex didn't know what to say, so she just left."

"Kids are jerks," Harvey sighed.

"Yes, they are," Donna nodded. "Let me fix this. I'll bring her back to you by dinner, and then I'll tell you my plan for tomorrow."


End file.
